Bristol

Bristol's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, ethnicity and marriage.

The population reached nearly 430,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Bristol increased by 13%, from almost 381,000 to 428,000.

The addition of almost 48,000 people means this area's population was the second-fastest-growing in the South West and increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Bristol was home to, on average, 28 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it the South West's most densely-populated unitary authority.

Population density was higher than the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Bristol

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Bristol decreased by one year, from 34 to 33 years.

This city had the lowest average age in the South West and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of about 18,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by just over 1,000.

About 20% of people in Bristol are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Bristol by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Bristol that rented privately increased from 13% to 24% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in five (20%) households lived in social housing, compared with 21% in 2001. The percentage of Bristol households that owned their home decreased from 63% to 54%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the South West. As a result, this area had the region’s second highest proportion of privately rented homes.

Isles of Scilly had the South West's highest proportion of privately rented homes (30%), while Torbay had the region's third highest proportion (23%).

Private renting in Bristol increased by 10 percentage points

Percentage of households in Bristol, the South West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Bristol

The percentage of Bristol residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.1% to 3.4% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 6.2%, while the percentage of Bristol residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 91%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased faster here than anywhere else in the South West. The improvement brought health in Bristol close to the regional average 3.7% in the South West described their health as good in 2011).

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Bristol

The number of people in Bristol from the White ethnic groups increased from just under 350,000 in 2001 to just under 360,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the local population, this represented a decrease from 92% to 84%.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the South West (from 98% to 95%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Bristol from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from just over 8,800 in 2001 to about 26,000 in 2011 (from 2.3% to 6.0%). The number of residents from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just over 13,000 to just under 24,000 (from 3.4% to 5.5%).

About 15,000 people (2.1%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from just over 7,900 in 2001 (3.6%).

The population from the White ethnic groups in Bristol decreased by 7.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Bristol by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Bristol

Bristol saw the South West's second-largest rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership.

In 2011, just under one in two (47%) people aged 16 and over in Bristol said they were single, compared with 40% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 42% to 37%.

Across the region, only Plymouth saw a greater rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership (from 30% to 37%).

Every local authority area across the South West saw a rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership, as the regional average grew from 27% to 31%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Bristol

The number of people in Bristol that described themselves as Muslim increased from just under 7,700 in 2001 to just over 22,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 2.0% to 5.1% of those who chose to disclose information about their religious beliefs.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South West (from 0.5% to 1.0%) and the average across England (from 3.2% to 5.2%).

The number of people in Bristol that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 240,000 in 2001 to about 200,000 in 2011 (from 62% to 47%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from about 93,000 to just over 160,000 (from 25% to 37%).

About 35,000 people (9.3%) did not state their religion, similar to the amount in 2001 (which at the time represented 8.1% of the local population)

The population who identified as Muslim in Bristol increased by 3.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Bristol by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Bristol residents that were unemployed increased from 3.1% to 4.3% in the decade to 2011.

The percentage who said they were employed remained close to 53%, while the percentage of Bristol residents that were self-employed increased from 6.9% to 8.4%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 2.6% in 2001 to 3.3% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Bristol increased by 1.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Bristol, the South West and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

Bristol saw the South West's second-largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just under 1 in 13 (7.5%) households in Bristol had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 8.1% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child remained close to 27%.

Across the region, only Isles of Scilly saw a greater fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (from 6.8% to 6.0%).

Because of its small size, comparisons to Isles of Scilly should be made with caution.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was lower than across the South West

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Bristol residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care remained close to 2.1% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.0%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across the South West. The improvement brought health in Bristol close to the regional average 2.4% in the South West described their health as good in 2011).

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Bristol remained close to 2.1%

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Bristol by care, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

Bristol saw the South West's third-largest fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

In 2011, just under 1 in 18 (5.5%) in Bristol said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 9.2% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 69% to 82%.

Across the region, only Cornwall (from 10% to 6.3%) and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (from 9.3% to 5.5%) saw a greater decrease in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across the South West saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 8.5% to 5.1%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Bristol decreased by 3.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Bristol, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Bristol working less than 16 hours increased from 2.2% to 3.4% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 13 (7.9%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 11% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 2.1% in 2001 to 3.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Bristol increased by 1.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Bristol, the South West and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing household dynamics

The percentage of one-person households changed very little in Bristol, while the proportion increased in Cardiff (one of the most statistically similar areas to Bristol based on ONS area classifications).

In Bristol, the proportion of one-person households stayed close to 34% between the last two censuses. During the same period, the proportion in statistically similar Cardiff increased from 30% to 33%.

Across the South West, the share of one-person households increased from 29% to 30%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Bristol increased from 9.7% to 12%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 29% to 26%.

The percentage of households with only one person was higher than across the South West

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

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